Latest news from º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ
22 Nov 2013
º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ to help train tomorrow’s engineers and scientists
Image: Andrew Weekes Photography
º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is to be a partner in five new Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs), which will help to train the next generation of scientists and engineers.
A £350 million fund for the new Centres was announced today (22 November) by Universities and Science Minister David Willetts. The funding, targeted at areas vital to economic growth, has been allocated by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The Centres in which º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ will be a partner will focus on:
- Energy Demand (LoLo)
- Fuel Cells and their Fuels – Clean Power for the 21st Century
- Gas Turbine Aerodynamics
- New and Sustainable Photovoltaics
- Additive Manufacturing
Professor Myra Nimmo, Pro Vice Chancellor for Research at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, said: “We are delighted with the successes announced today by the EPSRC. Our role in five EPSRC Centres for Doctoral Training reinforces º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s position as a leading research intensive university, where we pride ourselves on our strong collaborations with industry. Through these Centres, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ will be home to the very best training programmes for the next generation of engineers and scientists.”
Science Minister David Willetts said: “Scientists and engineers are vital to our economy and society. It is their talent and imagination, as well as their knowledge and skills, that inspire innovation and drive growth across a range of sectors, from manufacturing to financial services.
“I am particularly pleased to see strong partnerships between universities, industry and business among the new centres announced today. This type of collaboration is a key element of our industrial strategy and will continue to keep us at the forefront of the global science race.”
Paul Golby, EPSRC’s Chair, said: “Centres for Doctoral Training have already proved to be a great success and the model is popular with students, business and industry. These new centres will give the country the highly trained scientists and engineers it needs and they will be equipped with skills to move on in their careers.”
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Notes for editors
Article reference number: PR 13/220
Centres for Doctoral Training
Centres for Doctoral Training are one of the three main ways by which the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Centre (EPSRC) provides support for Doctoral Training. The other routes are the Doctoral Training Grant and Industrial Case Studentships. It is anticipated that much of the need for doctoral students in many areas will continue to be met by the DTG and ICASE, which together make up more than 50 per cent of EPSRC’s current spend on studentships.
CDTs are funded for four years and include technical and transferrable skills, as well as a research element. The centres bring together diverse areas of expertise to train engineers and scientists with the skills, knowledge and confidence to tackle today’s evolving issues, and future challenges. They also provide a supportive and exciting environment for students, create new working cultures, build relationships between teams in universities and forge lasting links with industry.
º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ
º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
It was awarded the coveted Sunday Times University of the Year title in 2008-09 and has been named Sports University of the Year 2013-14 by The Times and Sunday Times. º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and has been voted England's Best Student Experience for six years running in the Times Higher Education league. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
The EPSRC is the UK’s main agency for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences. EPSRC invests around £800 million a year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change. The areas covered range from information technology to structural engineering, and mathematics to materials science. This research forms the basis for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone’s health, lifestyle and culture. EPSRC works alongside other Research Councils with responsibility for other areas of research. The Research Councils work collectively on issues of common concern via Research Councils UK. www.epsrc.ac.uk
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Hannah Baldwin
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º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ
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